Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: I don't really know how I feel about this chapter…
It was Lily who found him. Ginny had sent her to wake him up. Albus was usually an early riser; no later than 8:30. But it was nearly three in the afternoon that Lily went to get him. Lily had been concerned, but Ginny had dismissed it.
"He's finally being a normal teenager and sleeping late," she had said. So Lily had stopped voicing her concerns and worried in silence.
Albus always stayed up late when he was home from school; even though he woke up early the next morning. But last night he had gone up to his room at about eight o'clock. "I'm tired," was his excuse.
Finally, at three, Ginny had called out to her from the kitchen, "Lily, go wake your brother up. I'm glad he's sleeping late, but this is ridiculous!"
Lily slowly ascended the stairs. Something didn't feel right. Lily walked down the hallway to the third door on the left and knocked softly before opening the door. "Al?" she whispered.
Al was there. But something was wrong. He was sprawled out on his back; he usually slept on his stomach. He was in his clothes from the day before and he didn't have any sheets pulled over him. His glasses were still on and his hair, while it was always messy, wasn't mussed enough for him to have been sleeping. He looked peaceful. Too peaceful.
Lily walked slowly towards him.
"Al?" she said, a little louder. She gave him a little shake. "Albus? It's time to wake up."
And that's when she knew. He wasn't waking up.
"Mom," she yelled robotically. Ginny didn't respond.
"Mom!" It was starting to hit her. Albus. Dead. She would never talk to him again. He would never tease her. Never threaten her boyfriends after a breakup. Never comfort her when she was scared. He was gone.
"MOM!"
Ginny came stomping up the steps.
"What is SO important that you had to yell? It sounded like there was something wro-"
That's when she noticed the tears running down her daughter's face.
"Lily, what is it?" she asked rushing to her daughter's side.
Lily just pointed.
Ginny shook his arm, "Al! Al wake up! You're scaring your sister!"
"He's dead," Lily whispered.
Ginny grabbed his arm and apparated them to St. Mungo's.
Lily was left standing in Albus' room. Could it even be called that anymore? He was dead after all. No, the dead can't own anything. It's not his anymore. But then who's was it?
James appeared in the doorway.
"What's wrong? I heard you yelling."
Lily turned towards him.
"Al's dead," she said, as though she talking about the weather and not her brother's death. Then she walked out the door and down the stairs.
James stood there, shocked, for a moment, then quickly followed after her. She was in the kitchen, looking in the fridge for something to eat.
"You can't just say something like that and walk away!" James yelled. "What do you mean?"
Lily reached in the fridge, pulled out some lunch meat and cheese, and muttered something about the impossibility of getting mayonnaise around here.
"Lily," James said sternly.
"What do you think I mean? Albus is dead. I think mom apparated him to St. Mungo's, but it's too late; he's dead." She said all this while grabbing a loaf of bread out of the cupboard.
"Are you fucking with me? If he was really dead, you would be upset."
Lily looked at him strangely. "He's gone. That's all there is to it." Then she walked out of the kitchen with her sandwich.
James realized he wasn't getting anything out of his sister. So he did the only thing he could think of. He apparated to St. Mungo's.
OoOoO
In the end, James, Ginny, and Harry all ended up at St. Mungo's. Lily, when called through the floo, flat out refused to come. The prognosis was the same as the one Lily had given; only it had been broken a little more thoughtfully. Albus Potter, son of Harry and Ginny Potter, was dead. As a doornail. Nothing could be done. He was gone. Forever.
They all flooed home in silence, no one quite knowing what to say. What do you say when your son kills himself?
Apparently no one knew. No one spoke for the rest of the day, except for Lily, who seemed completely unaffected by her brother's death.
She offered to floo the rest of the family and inform them of Al's death, but Harry and Ginny simply shook their heads, knowing she would simply blurt the news out without any respect for the feelings of her family members. So they kept silent, they wondered around the house like zombies; they had no destination, they just walked, awkwardly bumping into each other.
The next day, they went to the burrow to tell what happened.
Harry was the one to break the news.
"Al passed away yesterday," he told them. Everyone was silent. James couldn't help but think that he would rather have Lily tell him than his father. The way he said it was so mechanical; sort of like the way the doctor had told them.
There was an awful lot of crying. There were tears all around. Except Lily. She was fine.
Rose was the worst. Al had been her closest cousin; her best friend. She had never been especially popular at school, as she spent a lot of time studying. She didn't have time for friends. Except Al. He was her only real friend. She had people she talked to, people she was friendly with. But no one she could confide in, just Al.
And now she was alone.
Harry then went on to explain exactly how Al had died. Everyone was confused. He wasn't depressed. They would have noticed if he was. It must have been an accident. He accidentally swallowed a whole bottle of pills. That must be it.
Soon after the news had been given, people began trickling to their homes. Just before the Potters were about to leave, James approached Rose.
"You should come to the house," he told her.
"James, I don't think-"
"There was a note," he interjected. Rose's eyes grew wide. "Well, actually, notes. Come with us."
So, I feel like people are concerned that this isn't a Scorpius/Rose story. It is, I promise, but at the same time, it jumps around to see how others are dealing with things. But Scorp and Rose are the main characters. Just, stay with me? Please?